Automobile-door latch



H. S. RICHARDSON.

AUTOMOBILE DOOR LATCH.

Patented July 20, 1920.

PATENT OFFICE.

.H ARMON SCI-ILEY RICHARDSON, F MASSILLON', OHIO.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

I AUTOMOBILE-DOOR LATCH;

Patented July 20, 1920.

Application filed November 5, 1919. Serial No. 335,853.

To all whOm it may concern: 7

Be it'known that I, HARMON S. RICHARD- soN, a citizenof the United States, residing at Massillon,- in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomobileDoor' Latches, of which the following W is a specification.

This invention relates to fasteners for hinge closures, and the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved automobile door lock or latch which will be simple and easy to operate and which will present a pleasing appearance to the eye.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved automobile door lock, which is so constructed, that the occupant of the vehicle can-tell byglancing at the lock whether or ,not the same is, in locked position and thereby eliminate the annoyance and the damage caused by the doors swinging open'when the vehicle is in. motion. u

A further object .of' the invention is-the provision of ancimproved door latch which is practically noiseless in-operation, one which is :durable and efficient in use, and

one which'can be manufactured and placed upon the market at areasonable cost.

Other objectsof the invention will appear in the following detailed description,

1 taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciproved lock applied thereto in unlocked p( V sitionuY V, c -Fig. '2 is a large detail perspective view of the lever'or'latching bar, and

Fig.3 is a fragmentar end elevation partly insection of a vehicle door showing the latching bar in locked position.

Referring to the drawings; in detail wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several'views, the letter A indicates motor vehicle bo'dy'having theusual hinged closure B provided with the improved lock C.

'The lock' G "includes substantially the locklatch bar. 'F or the purpose of illustration, the latch bar D is shown carried by the hinge closure B and the keeper E by the panel of the automobile body A, but it is to be understood that the parts may be reversed and the keeper E carried by the door closure B and the latch bar D carried by the upper end of the panel.

The hinged closure 13 is of the ordinary or any preferred construction and it has its upper edge provided with the usual rail or gunwale 5, the forward end of which is cut away as at 6 for the reception of the lever or latch bar D. The upper edge of the door l3 where the rail 5 has been cut away is'prov'ided with a longitudinally extending groove 7 which opens out at the free edge of the door and the groove extends adjacent to the inner longitudinal edge of the door. The groove 7 is provided for the reception of the guard channel or housing F, which will be hereinafter more fully described.

. The latching bar D includes the substantially rectangular plate 8 having the depending side flanges 9 formed on the longitudinal edges thereof and adapted to engage the upper edge 6 of the closure and serve as a continuation of the rail or gun- .wale 5. A longitudinally extending depending rib or bar .10 is'formed on the lower'surface of the plate 8 and extends adjacent to the inner longitudinal edge thereof and is adapted to snugly fit in the housings, the side flanges .9 are rounded so as to present a pleasing appearance, and permit the same to be readily grasped by the hands of the operator to permit a firm grip to be had on the same. The keeper E includes the flat body provided with suitable transreadily secured inplace. The panel of the ing lever or latch D. the keeper E and the automobile body is preferably notched as receiving 'guide' saddle oreasing F forthe' at 16 adjacent its upper edge, so that the verse apertures for the reception of fastenf ing elements 15 whereby the samemay be outer surface of the keeper will extend flush with the outer edge thereof. The lower face of the body rests on the lower wall of the notch 16 of the panel with its inner face in abutting relation to the vertical wall thereof, and the upper edge of the same eX- tends below the upper edge of the panel.

-The upper surface of the keeper E is provided with the nose 17, the rear end of which is provided with the abrupt shoulder 18, which forms an abutment for the forward edge of the rib or bar 10 to rest against, so as to prevent outward movement of the door when the bar is in its latched po- [the body 25 in the groove.- V v Whilethe lock has been essentially desition. The forward end of the nose 17 is provided with; the downwardly inclined face 19, which forms means for raising the latching lever D, when the door is thrown closed. I

To facilitate the closing movement of the door by the lifting of the latch bar D, the

forward end of the same is provided with an anti-friction roller 20 which is adapted to engage the inclined face 19 during the. opening and closing movement of the door, The forward end of the rib is provided with a recess 21 for reception of the'roller which is mounted on the pin 22 which ex tends transversely of the recess 21. The lower edgeof the roller sets slightly below the'lower face of the rib as clearly shown in-Figs. 2 and 3 of-thedrawings. To further facilitate the easy andnoiseless opera tion of the lever, the inner wall of the 1on gitudinal groove 7 is recessed for the reception-of an anti-friction roller 23, which is guide channel or housing. 7 The guide channel'or casing Fincludes a channel shaped body 25 which as herein before stated is snugly fittedinthe groove mountedupon a pivot pin 24 carried by the 7 and held in position by any suitable or preferred means. The channel shaped' body 25 forms a guidefor the bar 10 and pre fvents wear on the inner surface of the groove. One wall of the channel shaped body 25' adjacent the forward 'end thereof 'is provided with the struck out cars 26 which are arranged in spaced parallel relation to each other. Theseears 26'are arranged inthe recess formed in the sidewall ofthe groovesandithey form supports for the pivotpin24. The ears 26 engage the side walls of-the'recess and provide means for. preventing longitudinal movement of signed for closures for motor vehicles, it is I to be understood that the same can'beeflectively used in connection with any other type of closure, such as .a gate or thelike- In operation of the'device, it is merely necessary to press the door B in closed position when it is desired to lock the same,

and it'will be seenthat the latching lever D will be readily raised owingto the antifriction roller 20 engaging the incllned surface 19 of the keeper, 7 7

When it is desired to open the d'oor B it is merely necessarvto grasp the forward end of the lever and to raise the same above the shoulder 18 of the keeper.

In practice, I have found that the form of myinvention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and described in the 'above description, as the preferred embodiment, is

the most efficient and practical, yet realizing a keeper, a casing, a latchinglever carried by the casing, a longitudinal rib formed onthe lever and arranged toengage the casing to prevent the lateralmovement of the latching lever in relation to the casing, the forward end of the rib the keeper. l 2. A latch for automobiledoors comprisa keeper, a latching lever includinga plate, a depending rib extending longitudinally of the plate,"a pivot ear formed on the rear end of th'e rib,.and an anti-friction roller carriedby'the forward end of the rib arranged to engage the keeper. 3. -An automobile? loorflatch comprising a keeper, a latchinglever including a flat plate, a depending ribextendinglongitudi nally ofthep'late"and formed integral therewith, an anti-friction roller carried by the being adapted engage V i forward end of the rib and arranged transversely of thesame for engagement with the keeper." 1-

: 41A latch for automobile doors comprising a keeper,-a locking lever includ nga home zontally arranged plate arranged substan-m tially flush with the uppersurface of an automobile-body when in a "latchedposition,

a depending rib.formedlongitudinally of the plate, the forward .end of the rib being adapted to engage the keeper, and depending flanges formed on'the longitudinal-edges of the plate arranged-to engage; the side edges of thevehicle body when the lever is in position. if 5.1An automobile latch "comprising a keeper, a latching bar including a-fiat plate arrangedto extend flush with the upper surface of the vehicle body, a longitudinally extending 1 rib formed in :the lower surface of the plate, a pivot ear formedon and ex- 4 tending rearwardly of the rib,- means pivotally securing the ear in'place to hold the lever in position, and .meansformed on the plate arranged to engage the upper edges of the vehicle body to prevent lateral movement of the plate in relation to the vehicle body when the lever is swung on said pivot means when the lever is in locked position.

6. The combination with a motor vehicle body including a hinged closure, of a latch for the hinged closure including a keeper, a latch bar arranged to engage the keeper having its upper surface arranged flat with the upper edge of the body.

7 The combination with a motor vehicle body, including a hinged closure, of a fastener therefor including a keeper fitted in a recessed portion of the body and arranged below the upper edge thereof, a pivoted lever arranged to extend flush with the upper edge of the body and to form a continuation of the rail thereof, a depending rib formed in the lower edge of the lever arranged to extend longitudinally of the same, the body having a longitudinally extending the forward end of the rib to facilitate the latching movement of the lever, and an antifriction roller rotatably mounted in the side wall of the groove to facilitate the positioning of the rib in said groove'as and for the purpose specified.

8. An automobile door latch comprising a keeper, a latching lever arranged to extend flush with the upper surface of the rail of a vehicle body, the forward end of the lever being adapted to engage the keeper, and flanges formed on the lever and arranged to engage the side edges of the body to prevent relative lateral movement of the lever in relation to the body when the lever is in its locked position.

HARMON SCHLEY RICHARDSON. 

